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07.24.2014 | CHICOPEE -- Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos, left, and state Rep. Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee, discuss their invitation to Gov. Deval Patrick to come to the city to discuss his proposal to temporarily house up to 1,000 Central American immigrant children at Westover Air Reserve Base.
(JACK FLYNN / THE REPUBLICAN)

In considering two Massachusetts sites to house the children, Patrick was responding to plea from President Obama, who is searching for a solution to the estimated 50,000 children being held in detention after trying to cross the border.

Kos said Westover not only lacks housing for the young visitors, but is also the nation’s largest active Air Force Reserve base. “So there are security considerations, too” Kos said during a news conference with Wagner.

Wagner said the governor’s office gave Kos and him little advanced notice, and have yet to provide a detailed explanation about how the potential plan would be carried out.

“We did get surprised,” Wagner said.

By visiting Chicopee, the governor could provide a fuller briefing on the proposal, and also tour Westover and get a better sense of whether it could house 1,000 immigrant children, Kos and Wagner said.

The invitation was sent Thursday morning, and no response had been received as of 3 p.m., they said. U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal has also been invited to join any meeting or tour with the governor if he accepts the invitation, they said.

The governor's office had no comment Friday afternoon.

Patrick is considering two locations – Westover and Camp Edwards, part of a military reservation in Bourne on Cape Cod – to offer shelter for up to four months for unaccompanied minors crossing into the United States illegally.

The two sites will be reviewed by officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to see if either is suitable for housing the children, most of whom are coming from Central America, the governor said.

Only one site would be selected, if any facility in Massachusetts is chosen.

He said each child would stay for an average of about 35 days and that all expenses will be picked up by the federal government while they are being processed for deportation, reunification or asylum.

Under the plan, the children would receive food, care and education while at the facility, and will not attend local schools. All children would receive a medical screening before entering the state, including all essential vaccines.